They 're the most powerful couple in the country but President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama say they 're sometimes still treated like the help .

Speaking to People Magazine , the first lady recounts a trip to Target when a fellow customer asked for assistance with an item -- not recognizing her as the wife of the President of the United States .

`` She did n't see me as the first lady , she saw me as someone who could help her , '' Mrs. Obama said . `` Those kinds of things happen in life . So it is n't anything new . ''

The president said he -- like many African-American men -- had been mistaken for a valet .

`` There 's no black male my age , who 's a professional , who has n't come out of a restaurant and is waiting for their car and somebody did n't hand them their car keys , '' he told the magazine .

Obama said those indignities do n't compare to the violent struggle for equal rights waged a generation ago . But he said it 's concerning when law enforcement regards African-American men with undue suspicion .

`` It 's one thing for me to be mistaken for a waiter at a gala . It 's another thing for my son to be mistaken for a robber and to be handcuffed , or worse , if he happens to be walking down the street and is dressed the way teenagers dress , '' he said .

The Obamas comments come after a spate of incidents that involve police and race -- in two cases , grand juries failed to indict police officers responsible for the deaths of unarmed black men , leading to angry protests .

Some have called on Obama to take a firmer stand against aggressive police tactics . The White House announced earlier this month a review panel to look into the relationship between communities and police forces nationwide .

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Obamas spoke to People Magazine

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Couple spoke about role of race in America